COPENHAGEN, Denmark. A Danish artist, Jens Haaning, is appealing a recent court ruling that requires him to repay 492,549 kroner ($69,894) to the Kunsten Museum in Aalborg. Haaning’s legal battle stems from his controversial artwork submission, which consisted of two empty canvases titled “Take the Money and Run.”
The artistic endeavor, which was commissioned by the museum two years ago for its exhibition on labor conditions, garnered significant attention and debate.
The Danish court’s decision, delivered last week, found Haaning in violation of his contract with the museum. Peter Schønning, Haaning’s lawyer, confirmed the appeal but declined to provide further comments on the matter.
The museum had initially tasked Haaning in 2021 with recreating two of his earlier pieces that featured banknotes affixed to canvases symbolizing the average annual wage in Denmark and Austria. However, instead of delivering the expected artwork, Haaning presented two blank canvases for the exhibition titled “Work It Out.” He justified his unconventional approach by explaining that the artwork represented his own current work situation and chose to retain the money.
In addition to providing him with cash in euro and kroner banknotes for the art pieces, the museum also compensated Haaning with 25,000 kroner ($3,900) for his labor in creating the artwork.
In the ruling issued on September 18, the District Court of Copenhagen determined that Haaning could retain 40,000 kroner ($5,676) from the original sum provided by the museum. This amount was deemed an artist’s fee because the exhibition, held from September 24, 2021, to January 16, 2022, proceeded with the empty canvases as planned.
The court pointed out that the contract between the museum and Haaning explicitly stipulated that the cash, in the form of banknotes, was to be available for viewing during the temporary display of the artworks and subsequently returned.
When Haaning refused to return the cash following the conclusion of the exhibition, the museum pursued legal action against him. Haaning, however, maintains that he did create a legitimate work of art and denies any wrongdoing.
The case has sparked a wider debate about the boundaries of contemporary art and the obligations of artists when commissioned for specific projects. Haaning’s appeal is expected to prolong the dispute over his unorthodox artistic expression.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
